Blooms of Bressingham® Press Day – hands across the water

When British garden writers meet their counterparts from North America, there is never a lack of topical conversation – or enthusiasm – for their shared passion for plants. Such was the case at the Blooms of Bressingham Press Day held on 8th July.

The day-long event at The Bressingham Gardens started out in light rain, but the sun overcame the clouds, perfectly showcasing the lush 17-acre site at its peak flowering. More than 120 garden writers, horticultural specialists and plant enthusiasts from the UK, USA and Canada were in attendance. A personal tour of the gardens with Adrian Bloom, a “meet the breeders” presentation, and a panel discussion on getting more people “switched on” to gardening were among the day’s many highlights.

Host Adrian Bloom’s newly published book, “Blooms Best Perennials and Grasses”, was the focus of the garden tours as he called out tried and tested plants and their role in garden design for inspiring new gardeners. His signature perennial and grass combinations provide year-round interest, something, according to Adrian, that is often the missing ingredient in most gardens. The key to successful gardening, he says, is basically, “less is more,” with one chapter covering 12 “must have” perennials and grasses. By limiting the plant palette to “tried and true” varieties to start, both current and future gardeners will be encouraged by their initial success, which can give way to a greater passion for gardening.

Gary Doerr, president of Blooms of Bressingham North America, introduced several breeders whose discoveries are now part of the Blooms program: the Waterer family (Geranium ‘Rozanne’), the Wilson family (Penstemon Pensham™ series), Jan Schuiver of Jeddoloh Pflanzen nursery (Geranium ‘Azure Rush’), and Hugh Boyd (who currently has Violas under trial with Blooms).

All press materials relating to the event, including new variety introductions, can be found in the News Room at Bloomsofbressinghamplants.com.

Highlights from the event

Garden tours
Adrian Bloom and Jaime Blake, curator for the Dell garden, hosted tours of the six distinct gardens at Bressingham, including the Winter and Summer Gardens, the popular Dell Garden, Foggy Bottom and Adrian’s Wood, the newest garden.

Over the past few years, Foggy Bottom has changed dramatically, which many of the attendees remarked upon. Some overgrown specimens had been removed, vistas were opened up and new plantings of perennials, grasses and winter-interest shrubs are filling in the spaces. It is an impressive showcase for all-season appeal in the garden.

Adrian stopped the tour in the Dell Garden to officially change the name tag for the Geranium ‘Jolly Bee’ planted there to Geranium Rozanne® (‘Gerwat’). The two had been growing together in close proximity, showing virtually no difference in appearance. Earlier in the year, a respected independent lab determined that there are virtually no differences in the morphology and DNA of the two cultivars. A settlement was reached and effective 1st July, 2010, all plant material of ‘Jolly Bee’ is now to be sold under the name Rozanne®.

New varieties
Gary Doerr talked about how plants come to Blooms of Bressingham from a variety of sources, from professional breeders to garden enthusiasts, and are trialled long and hard before being introduced to the marketplace. This testing ensures that plants prove their merit, whether it is global (like Geranium Rozanne®) or restricted to certain countries or areas.

A selection of new Blooms introductions were shown and samples offered for attendees to try in their own gardens at home. Of particular interest are two new hardy geraniums ‘Azure Rush’ (a hybrid of ‘Rozanne’ discovered at a nursery in Germany) and ‘Breathless’, which was discovered in British Columbia,Canada. The stunning Coreopsis ‘Sweet Marmalade’ opens as deep orange and then mellows to soft apricot yellow through the season.

Full descriptions of all new introductions are at Bloomsofbressinghamplants.com.

 
Up for discussion: How do we attract more people to gardening?
Chaired by Adrian Bloom with a distinguished panel of writers/broadcasters consisting of Adam Pasco, Christine Walkden and Kerry Mendez, this lively presentation revealed that most people need more inspiration and information to start gardening. Studies show that 60-65% of gardeners look to retail garden centers for this. It’s an area that has great potential for creating new customers, yet currently falls far short.

Another important area is communication at the retail level. Many new gardeners are intimidated by plant nomenclature, so it’s important to use common names for plants. Customers also need a much more simplified approach to buying plants, such as selecting them by use (sun, shade, soil conditions) rather than in an “A to Z” presentation, which means very little to them. Grouping plants by their bloom time (spring, summer, fall) is helpful, too, as is concentrating on selections of “tried and tested” plants that will ensure first-time gardening success, and keep customers coming back for more!

It’s also critical to create as many one-on-one interaction opportunities as possible, including offering classes (for children and adults), working with community garden projects, creating plant sample programs, holding workshops in conjunction with schools or libraries, and participating in volunteer efforts in the local community (such as botanical gardens or green projects).

Notes on panellists
Adam Pasco is editor of BBC Gardener’s World magazine.
Christine Walkden is a horticulturalist and TV presenter in the UK.
Kerry Mendez, owner of Perennially Yours, is an educator and garden consultant in the US.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For further information contact: Miriam Young